Mayor Zoran Janković signed the declaration of the Pact of Free Cities, pledging to promote, in his capacity as Mayor, values such as freedom, human dignity, democracy, equality, the rule of law, social justice, tolerance and cultural diversity.

The expansion of signatories of the Declaration took place on 16 September 2021 on the sidelines of the Budapest Forum, in which the signatories undertook to:

• come together and build a city network that is based on values to restore and strengthen the democracy and stand as a stronghold against the erosion of the rule of law by fighting against corruption, state occupation, racism and populist nationalism;
• advocate for free and fair elections and democratic movements around the world, fight against electoral fraud, unfair electoral procedures, cyber attacks and disinformation campaigns which are aimed at undermining electoral processes;
• facilitate the democratic participation of marginalized groups;
• protest against human rights abuses, xenophobia, anti-Semitism, anti-feminism, racism, Islamophobia, anti-LGBTQI measures and rhetoric, attacks on civil society organizations or any discriminatory practices aimed at alienation and exclusion from the democratic process;
• explore urban challenges through democracy and democratic values, share experiences in the field of inclusive governance, transparency and smart and evidence-based participatory and socially aware urban governance, e.g., in the areas of sustainable urban planning, climate protection, education, social inclusion, housing, transport, media, the digital agenda and all other areas of common interest;
• participate in the dialogue and activities that will help reconcile the emerging gap between urban and rural areas, which can further undermine democratic societies;
• research and implement joint projects which are aimed at the above objectives;
• participation will be informal and voluntary, without a secretariat and membership fees, and open to other cities and third-party stakeholders who share their values and are willing to work towards the goals.

A supporter of the principles which are established in the pact is the Mayor in his personal capacity, and not the city of which he is the Mayor, as his name is removed from the list of signatories at the end of his term.

The Pact of Free Cities was established in 2019 by the mayors of the capital cities in the countries of the Visegrad Group V4 with the purpose of advocating progressive and inclusive values and fighting against nationalist populism.